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Lonely Lies the Crown (Annabeth & Khaos)

Kosmik_Khaos

Kosmik_Khaos

God is empty, just like me.
Supporter
Joined
Aug 1, 2016
Location
In my happy place.
Rennes was born of parents who were a royal guard and maidservant employed directly to the royal family. The King made a request of his parents, during this time of great strife in the world he wanted their son to be trained to protect his fist child when he had one. Honored by the request both Rennes parents agreed happily. When Rennes was five he began his training to be the future heirs bodyguard.

Over the next thirteen years Rennes grew to become a living weapon. He received training in martial styles of all the allied armies of the Crusade, and even by some of the soldiers who were converted from the Saracen, and other armies. He was also trained in the arts of assassination, and espionage.

It was half way through his eighteenth year when the Queen was blessed with child. From the day he found out the news until the birth of the Princess, Rennes spent as much time guarding his Queen and her unborn child. His dedication didn't go unnoticed by the King or Queen and on the day of Seraphine's birth he was allowed to be present. Within the first minuets of her birth Rennes spoke his vows of absolute loyalty and protection to his Princess.

From that day he never once let the Princess out of his sight. He was present for every moment of her life. While she fed, bathed, played, everything. As she grew older he also attended all of her lessons, for the first time gaining a formal education outside of combat.

As time passed he watched the pretty child grow into a beautiful woman, his feelings towards her growing from a bodyguard to a friend to eventually a sense of love for her. He took pride in her accomplishments, helped her overcome her failures, chased away her nightmares, and kept her secrets. He was more than her bodyguard, he was her friend, her confidant, her keeper, and to him she was the center of his world. His entire life before her birth was dedicated to preparing for it, and the rest of his life with her under his constant care.

Seraphine was now a woman of eighteen years and a stunning sight to behold. The six foot tall, broad shouldered and chested Rennes loomed in the corner of Seraphine's dressing room. His dark eyes moving from the silhouette behind the changing screen to around the room taking note of the two other maidservants in the room. They tried to hide their nervous glances at him but he noticed everything that they did.

Running his fingers through his dark wavy hair he let out a sigh. "Seraphine, does it really take you that long to put on a dress?" He asked in his deep husky voice. "You have kept me waiting for nearly an hour, do you need me to help dress you like I did when you a child?" He teased leaving the corner and walking towards the screen. The maidservants both flushed red at his informal manner of speech towards the princess. Peeking around the curtain he smirked at the audible gasps coming from the two women. "Hush now. I have seen her body more times than she has." He said in a a hard tone without turning towards them. "But seriously Sera, people are waiting for you. Today is an important day." He said his dark brown eyes soaking in the soft details of her beautiful young body.
 
RE: Lonely Lies the Crown

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"No longer than it takes you to change into a gambeson and don the rest of your armor," she called out, voice chattering slightly in the cold despite the fire against the outer wall. "Though talk has it you come out of it quickly enough if there's a pretty peasant about that you fancy," she teased. "And don't you dare touch it!" she warned in a stern voice. "Last time you played hand maiden the silk caught in your callouses and it was all snags. That dress was only good for rags after," Seraphine Évreux exaggerated. The snag had been the tiniest of things, but when Rennes grumbled it was best to grumble back, or else sweetly flatter him and play up her innocence. He never seemed to catch on either, or if he did was too devoted to her to let Seraphine know.

"You need not remind me," she said curtly and swatted playfully at his head that peeked around the corner. Absolutely no sense of shame was felt at Rennes seeing her but partially clad. It had been such ever since her birth. No man spent more time with Seraphine than Rennes and his vow to her father and by extension to her was absolute. It was so accepted that Seraphine had no idea of how her transformation into a young woman may have tormented her bodyguard, from the first budding of her breasts to their final form or the darkening of the cleft between her legs to match the tresses piled atop her head. Dressing, bathing, sleeping in summer's heat or snuggling against his chest while riding twin on his horse across terrain too rugged for a carriage, Seraphine was free with her body around him. Rennes never seemed distressed by it either, though Seraphine thought he looked at her rather more differently the last few years.

Or was it only her imagination?

"Every day is an important day for House Évreux of late," she countered, but finished dressing with more than normal haste. Stepping out she motioned for the ladies in waiting to come forward and finish adding jewels and armbands and to fuss about her hair. Stunning in royal purple and muted blue-gray, the gown clung and covered at the same time, showing her youthful and lush body beneath it but emphasizing her quiet dignity that she wore as faithfully as Rennes wore his armor. "You are dismissed," she told them and waited until they left to speak further with Rennes.

"They say they are noblemen of the court of the Prester John and authorized to negotiate in his name," Serpahine said but doubt was in her tone. "Yet none have seen the - any - Prester John in a hundred years. Some say his throne is empty." Prester John, fabled Christian ruler in the Eastern lands beyond Holy Jerusalem, beset on all sides by Saracens and other infidels. If he existed, if his house still ruled, forging an alliance between her beloved France and his kingdom might give France the edge it needed to crack the nut of the Holiest of Cities and finally expel the Saracens for good. Sure of an ally in the East, they could march together and crush the heathens between them.

If he existed.

If they could form an alliance that wouldn't crumble.

"And they insist on a private audience. My father and mother and the Chancellor. Myself and no more than two guardsmen." One of whom would be Rennes, that was never in doubt. "They say they fear spies overhearing their plans."

Eyes the color of early winter seas looked worriedly into Rennes'. "Stay you close to me," she said, it sounding like an order but as they were alone it was more of a plea.
 
"I have someone bringing me my stuff. You don't think that I would leave you alone to go nearly halfway across the castle to get ready do you?" He asked. Rennes sighed at the mention of the silk dress. "You know good and well Seraphine I do not 'play' with any of the servants. She tripped, started to fall and I reflexively caught her." He explained for what felt like the millionth time. He knew she was teasing him though, it was one of her little tricks that he allowed her to get away with. That or playing the total innocent and try and choke him to death with flattery. What he failed to say was that there was only one person he wanted to play with. It was one of the very, very few things he kept from her.

Dodging the swat aimed for his head he gave her playful grin in retaliation. She was truly a beautiful woman now. Something he had the pleasure and privilege to watch happen over their years together. Taking in a slow breath he masterfully suppressed the thoughts of her body into a deep, dark corner of his mind. There was nothing wrong with the occasional thought about her during the late hours of the night when he had more leeway to allow his mind to wander, but they were fantasies that could never come to fruition. She was a Nobel, he was a glorified weapon that wasn't even given a surname at birth, an asset forged to safeguard the beauty standing before him.

"Well there is a Holy War going on Sera, everyone is in a mad scramble to lay claim to the Holy Land before the enemy does." He said with obvious disdain. Rennes had always been uneasy with the idea of fighting a war in the name of a God whose first commandment was to abstain for killing. As Seraphine's outfit was getting it's final touches a young man entered the room panting. He held an obviously heavy bundle in his wiry arms. "You things Sir." He said to Rennes. "I am not a Sir, I am Rennes, nothing more, nothing less. Understand?" He asked in a firm, but friendly tone. "Yes S... Yes Rennes." The boy said with a quick bow to Seraphine then to Rennes before running out of the room. He was followed by the ladies as Seraphine dismissed them.

Standing alone in the room with her Rennes began to rummage through his delivered bundle. Lifting the black leather gambeson he looked it over. It was a custom piece of his own design. Inside the diamond shaped quilting were steel plates instead of just wool for added protection. The collar was high reaching just below his chin and went down to his knees where it flared out slightly and the front was held closed to the waist by silver buckles and twin leather belts around the waist. He was already wearing a chain-mail tunic under his outer tunic which had deep crimson sleeves and a deep violet, almost black body. Pulling the gambeson on he fixed the buckles and slid his sword and dagger onto the belts before buckling them.

Opening a small wooden case that was brought along with is other things he pulled out several knives and began tucking them away. A piece of shaped lodestone was stitched into the inner wrist of each sleeve allowing the steel blades to stay in place while he moved about regularly but a strong enough flick of his arm would dislodge them and deliver them to his waiting palms. Two went into the built in sheaths on the inside of his boots and one hung between his shoulder blades on a leather thong under the rest of his armor. A last of last resorts.

Listening intently as always to everything Seraphine said while he prepared himself for the meeting he just gave her a look that spoke volumes. Rennes was a man of hard proofs and certainties, especially when it came to her safety. Allowing some strangers so close to her under the rumor that they're members of the court of a long dead King was the exact opposite of that. Though in a strategic view having an ally in the East was a very good thing in this war. It would be hard to fight a war on two fronts, and if there could be an alliance with the east it wouldn't be so far fetched for the various warring houses to unite in a more complete stand and finish this idiotic war once and for all.

Pulling out two more accessories, a ring and necklace he carried them over to Seraphine. Taking her right hand in his he slid the ring onto her index finger. On the side of the band hidden by the design on the ring was a small button, when pressed a short, thin needle extended from the center of the ring. The needle was coated in a highly concentrated toxin that caused nearly instant paralysis for several hours. Next he brought up the necklace which was a beautiful silver cross about three inches long. The bottom of the cross could be drawn down to reveal a hidden knife about two inches in total length. Reaching around Seraphine's neck his deft fingers quickly clasped the chain and he tucked the cross down the bodice of her dress.

These were of course extreme last measures as only dying would permit Rennes allowing Seraphine to have to use them. But as with the training they did together it was the only way he could for absolute certain uphold his oath to her to protect her no matter what. She would be familiar with them as he had educated her in their uses over the years, as well as how to use them. "Remember, if anything happens go for the soft spots. Eyes, ears, nose, throat, and groin." He coached her for the thousandth time.

Rennes frowned at that information. He was uneasy about the request for a private audience with the four most influential members of the kingdom with limited security. Seeing the worry in those gorgeous eyes was almost more than Rennes could handle. Reaching up with both hands he gently cupped her face and tilted it up to look at him. His eyes, the color of dark, rich earth locked onto her winter sea ones holding them intensely. "Seraphine, when have I ever been more than a rooms length away from you? How many times have I allowed anyone to get within ten steps of you without my permission?" He asked all hints of mirth removed from his tone. Lowering his face he rested his forehead against hers, much like he used to when comforting her as a child. "As long as I am around you are safe from everything." He said in a low whisper. Removing his head from hers he planted a light kiss on the middle of her forehead before stepping back. "Now you have far to many things to worry about as it stands, so allow me to do the worrying for your safety. It is my purpose in life after all."

Flashing her a warm smile he straightened his back and put on the airs of a guardsman. "Shall we meet our audience my lady?" He asked his tone perfectly reserved and all familiarity hidden from it. He wouldn't give their guests the slightest clue as to who he was to her, which in proxy would shed light on his skill. Their ignorance of him played very well in his favor.
 
He'd made Seraphine wear the poison needle ring for three years with an uncoated needle before switching it out to the poisoned one. That had proved prudent as she'd been barely into the second month of it when she carelessly triggered it and scratched one of the lap dogs kept around to keep fleas on them and off people. Then again less than a week later when she poked it into her own thigh while doing embroidery and being so careless as to trigger it. It was almost scary how far he thought into the future where her safety was concerned and the pains he went to guarantee it. It sometimes made things a little awkward though. For all she was, of course, chaste and a virgin, Rennes was neither and had the needs normal to all men. Thus, when he needed release, Seraphine was within earshot and sometimes his sight, though never that of the girl he was coupling with.

Girls plural one time, she remembered and flushed. Rennes had certainly, ah, serviced them well judging from their noises and the careful way they walked the next day. They never spoke of it, by mutual agreement after some very awkward questions Seraphine had posed before her first moons. Rennes had tried to relate it to the horses and swine, leading to quite a bit of confusion and a few pretend weddings in the stables between a stallion and a mare with a very puzzled priest presiding over them and Rennes staring hard at the man every time he faltered. Now she just ignored it when it happened and would do her needlework or read, or sometimes just stare out the arrow slit of a window in the room Rennes normally used for his amorous liaisons.

Bouyed by Renne's touch on her face and the kiss, she took reassurance and confidence from her bodyguard as she had so many times before. Closing her eyes Seraphine breathed out deeply, then in so much her breasts lifted high, then out deeply again. When her eyes opened again her face was totally calm, her body a picture of posture perfection, and her eyes beguilingly serene. It was a trick Rennes had taught her, how to hold and convey herself and project a presence of unshakable calm and dignity. Crowds would part before her, miscreants knuckle their brow and slink away, and even the snippiest of barbed comment courtiers be silent behind her back.

An arch of one thick eyebrow indicated her wishes to Rennes and he opened the door, first scanning the hall outside then stepping out. A flick of one finger indicated to her it was safe and she glided out, skirts swirling and flicking behind her but her head absolutely level and her shoulders immobile. It was as if she glided rather then walked. It was a long walk through the corridors of the palace, made longer by Rennes ghosting ahead and checking that the way was safe. She didn't pause once, never altered her stride, but it had to be purposefully slow so that he could do his duty. The side effect was that her passages about the palace were always stately which added to her dignity of station.

Eventually they reached the private audience chamber and it was opened by her father the King's own guardsmen. A courtier announced, rather quietly than normal, "The Princess Seraphine, Keeper of the Swans and daughter of House Évreux, sole heir to the Kingdom of France and Beloved of the Blessed Virgin." Seraphine curtsied low to the two figures seated on thrones at the end of the room, her arms spreading and lifting her skirts like a butterfly's gossamer wings, and held the obeisance longer than necessary. It was no act, no pretense; Serpahine loved her parents and held them in genuine esteem. If that meant she curtsied a few heartbeats longer than needed as a way of showing her love, then so be it no matter what others thought of the act. They'd see it as sycophancy, most of them. The court was such a disaster of plotting and petty insults and equally petty schemes.

"Daughter, the emissaries of the Prester John," the King said, his ring encrusted fingers gesturing to where a small group of men stood. As Seraphine looked over, the audience chamber door shut behind them and she heard the scraping thud of a heavy locking bar slide into place. Rennes no doubt.

Serpahine repeated the curtsy to the foreigners, though this time she held it for just the amount of courtesy due them and no more.

"Sayyidah," the leader of them said, his voice heavy with the accent of the heathen lands. He stepped forward and made an odd gesture, touching his fingers and thumb to his head, then his lips, then his heart as he bowed. His right hand, she noted. "Peace and mercy be upon you and your family for all your days as God wills it." Another step forward, his eyes flicking nervously to where Rennes stood and watched, then he reached out and took the hand Seraphine had offered, her palm to the floor. He kissed the back of it then stepped away.

What did one say to that? It was beyond her experience but it never showed in her face and she faltered not one breath before replying, "As God wills it." She followed up in a similar fashion. "And may God light your path as you return to your lands and wives and children." It may not have been entirely what they were expecting, but the young Princess projected holy sincerity so they accepted it as if being offered wine-tinged water at the end of a long journey.

"Thank you, Sayyidah," he answered. "Though if our Lord's birth in Bethlehem was shown by a shining star in the East, surely Sayiddah is the shining star in the West to show us the way to our allies in Christ against the infidel."

"It would be blasphemy to accept such a compliment," Seraphine said but with a smile on her lips showing she did accept it and was greatly flattered. "Will you sit?" she said and gestured towards ornate chairs near the thrones but lower in height. Seraphine took her usual spot on her father's right hand side, sitting on a small stool and resting her hands, one atop the other, on the arm of his throne. From time to time, as audiences would progress, he would lean over to whisper questions to her or to let her in on his counsel about the matter at hand, teaching her. Rennes had no place, or rather had any place he wanted. Oft that was standing behind her but he was free to roam anywhere in the palace. In the Kingdom.

Soon her father and the leader of the emissaries, one Da'oud bin Acre, were feeling each other out in terms of armies and manpower and political will and alliances. Seraphine listened, noting every word, but her eyes roamed the strange men and their strange clothing. It seemed to mirror that of the heathens, the Saracens, and she supposed there were any number of practical reasons. Certainly they were no odder than the people from the far, far North, the Sami people with their bright clothing and rounded faces and exotically slanted eyes. And they were most decidedly pagans, worshipers of trees and rocks and other silly things. Saracens, at least, believed in the one true God as did the Jews and Christians. They just got a little muddled up after that and strayed from the path of Jesus.

Two of the men in the back of the group slowly worked their way forwards, each time for a legitimate reason such as providing a word of knowledge or fact, but something seemed rather odd about them. The others looked like them, but seemed almost afraid of the two men. Only Da'oud was oblivious to all of it.

Without warning anyone, Seraphine calmly but clearly recited the third line of the infidel call to prayer, only changing the name of the prophet from Muhammed to Jesus. "Ash-hadu anna Jesus-Rasulullāh," she called out, voice as pure as an angel's song. The interruption shocked Da'oud and her father into silence but brought a wholly different reaction from the two men. Shrieking in the heathen tongue, so fast and so angry Seraphine had not a chance to understand them, they drew twin swords with crescent shaped blades and charged!
 
Rennes lead Seraphine through the palace, staying a couple feet ahead of her he checked every intersection and blind spot. The servants all stopped dead in their tracks if his dark gaze managed to fall on them. Getting her safely to the audience chamber he was the first to enter and then waited for Seraphine to join him inside.

Rennes stood and meet his King and Queens eyes levelly before scanning the faces of the Emissaries meet each of their gazes with his hard dark stare. His Lord and Lady understood that he meant no disrespect by not bowing. He was in fact showing his utmost respect to them in keeping his vows no matter the situation.

Rennes stayed within a half step of being between her and anyone else as she was greeted by and greeted the assembly. A swell of pride in his chest at how well she held to her lessons and carried herself. The sense of pride was laced with a much warmer twinge of emotion. Love. An undefined, unquestioned, unrelenting love for the woman who with her presence alone conquered the room.

The shifty nature of foreigners with the exception of Da'oud quickly put them all in immediate danger. Rennes stationed himself to the left of and directly beside the Princess watching. He noted how two in particular were slowly and in their credit, discreetly closer to the Royal Family. Like a whisp Rennes moved himself forward.

The moment Seraphine's angelic voice sounded Rennes snapped into motion. In a single swift motion Rennes had the daggers from his sleeves in his palms and thrown each at the men standing of opposite outsides of the group. Twin thunks sounded as the knives found their marks and buried themselves in the middle of either man's face to the hilt taking them off their feet and to the ground.

Three men outside of Da'oud stood living. The two with the swords drawn rushed forward screaming. They were enraged, thus distracted, which was equivalent to death in a situation such as this. Drawing his long dagger he was already across the room meeting the first of the would be assassins. The parrying dagger Rennes wielded so easily was of a sword breaker fashion. Catching the first blade of the assailant closest he ran his dagger down the blade to the hilt and with a flick of his wrist, followed by a loud snap and clanging metal, Rennes had cleanly destroyed the sword.

In the same twisting motion of breaking the sword Rennes drove the skyward pointing blade clean through the bottom of the man's chin driving it deep into his skull.

Abandoning the dagger he quickly jumped to the side as the second swordsman swung. With Rennes's body out of the way of the swings the instead connected in the firsts man chest and torso.

Drawing his sword in a clean, practiced motion Rennes didn't waist a second in lunging forward fencing style, driving the pointed blade between the ribs of the second man delivering a second clean kill strike. Drawing the sword from the standing corpse he made a four step dash to the final victim who stood in horror at what was conspiring around him. "M-mercy! H-have mercy!" The man stammered in utter fear. "Mercy is given by God, I am not so pretentious as to attempt to do his work for him." Rennes replied with cold intent.

It was clear in his last look he wasn't expecting for things to go this way. With a swift upwards strike he was beheaded, his expression of disbelief still on his face. Turning in a half circle while swinging his sword swiftly down and to the side to removed most of the blood from it. Taking the two steps that separated himself from Da'oud he stood just slightly behind him.

"Seraphine, this is the only honest one in the room. I suggest questioning him before I put him down like a dog, but that is only a light suggestion." He said addressing his Princess instead of either the King or Queen. "What is this madness?!" Da'oud finally spoke just now being able to react. "How do you allow such disrespect? This murderer bastard killed my people and now threatens my own life. I demand an explanation!"

"Rennes. Who do you serve?" The Queen asked.
"I serve Seraphine." He answered coolly.
"What is your purpose?"
"To ensure the safety of Seraphine."
"What measures will you take to do such?"
"All of them."
"What if my Husband or I were the source of danger to her life?"
"I would do to you as I have all threats before. I will remove you both as risks to her life." He answered without a moments hesitation. The Queen actually smiled at his response and lack of pause.

Turning her attention from Rennes back to Da'oud she addressed him. "We came together today with the hopes of peace in our hearts. I can see clearly that you held no ill will towards us. These negotiations will hopefully end with MY only daughter, the sole heir to the thrown making her pilgrimage to the Holy Land of Jerusalem as an envoy of peace and good will to your people. With her is a man that is a force of nature in his own, who holds no loyalties outside of her. This goes as a warning to you, not a threat. If we do agree on this treaty, he will be accompanying her everywhere." It was more a warning to any prying ears than to the sole survivor of the visiting party. "Dear, could you please ask Rennes to stand down. I would very much like to continue negotiations."

At her sign Rennes cleaned his sword on the shirt of on of the men before sheathing it. Collecting his dagger he repeated the process, and did the same for his throwing knives. Once he collected everything he walked across the room and resumed his post beside Seraphine not looking at her. He had never spoken just how deep his vows to her went before and now she knew. He was hers and hers alone.
 
During the entire encounter Seraphine never moved from her spot seated beside her Father the King and next to her Mother the Queen. It would have only looked unseemly and gotten her in Rennes' way. He'd taught her when to scurry for safety like a little field mouse fleeing from a cat and when to calmly stand her ground. The audience chamber offered no good places to hide save behind the thrones and she would not, could not, look like a coward. Rennes danced like an angel and dealt death like the Devil. She flinched twice, the first when Rennes' dagger drove up into the brain and skull of one man, parting flesh and bone with a sickening crunch so much like that of a butcher's cleaver jointing a pig. The second came as Rennes' upward slice separated the infidel's head from his body. Blood flung from the edge of his sword dashed a crimson line of spatters across Seraphine's face and she could feel the heat of it on her gone cool skin. Anyone would have flinched then, and she did, but quickly returned to herself.

When Rennes was back by her side, Seraphine reached over, quite calmly, and touched the crook of his elbow with her fingertips. It lasted but a moment but was an extraordinary breach of the protocol she observed in formal situations. A heartbeat later she rose and stepped daintily off the dais her parents' thrones rested on and approached Da'oud.

"Have you a kerchief, m'Lord?" Seraphine waited, then repeated the request when Da'oud was still recovering from what had happened. "A kerchief?" she prompted again, then took it from his hand when the emissary offered it up. A quick wipe down her face collected most of the blood and what was left served to redden her cheek like a blush. Carefully folding it so the blood was on the inside, Seraphine proffered it to Da'oud who took it with an ashamed look.

"Sayyidah, believe me I did not know," he said, voice deep with emotion and fear for his life. "On the holy bones of St. Peter I swear I did not know."

"It is of no consequence, M'Lord. They," she indicated the slain men with a slow sweep of her arm, "were too stupid, or perhaps too fanatical, to know that they of course never had a chance to harm my family. Their real purpose, I am sure you will agree, was to disrupt our negotiations and cast a stone of mistrust between us that one of us would surely turn their ankle on. Rennes' dealt with one threat, and you and we shall surely deal with the other."

"I will have them sewn in the skin of pigs before they are buried," Da'oud swore.

"Quite right," her Father agreed.

"No." Seraphine surprised herself with her outburst but hastened to explain. "Your Majesty, pray hear me out before deciding," she asked and waited with a bowed head until given permission to go on. When it was received, the young Princess proceeded. "We shall give them a burial in accordance with their rites before God. Before the same God we share the belief in, though they be heretics from the salvation of the Lamb. We bury them properly, send home their effects and..." she looked to Rennes for the word.

"Sadaqah," he supplied.

"Sadaqah, yes. Charity," she translated for the others. "For their families. They may have wives, mothers, children who are innocent of their misdeeds."

"You'd show them mercy, daughter?" Her Mother asked coldly.

"Forgiveness," she countered. "Christian forgiveness and seeing mercy and not injustice visited upon the innocent. Word of it will spread. Then, when and as we need it, we may find elements of the people in those lands who will look upon us with more favorable eyes than before. If one, even one, come to Jesus because of it then God Himself will bless us."

"Or Rennes can use them as spies," the King said and laughed deeply. "You see, wife? You see what she learns sitting beside me all these years? God if you had been but a man," he said.

"That would look very odd to have your son dance with you then at balls, Your Majesty," she quipped and shared a laugh with her Father.

"M'Lord Da'oud, will you help us see to the arrangements? We are quite ignorant," Seraphine said.

"As Sayyidah commands," he said and bowed, repeating the touching of his head, lips and heart.

The negotiations went on for several more hours, giving the bodies time to cool and the blood to congeal on the floor. Neither parties spoke of it except at the end when the servants from outside entered the room and saw the mess awaiting them.

"Rennes? I want to ride," she commanded as they walked through the palace.
 
Rennes didn't glance down at the contact he felt against his arm. He knew she required him to hold his station from the simple gesture. Though he didn't make a single move his eyes followed her the entire time, watching for the slightest hint of her need for him.

Again pride swelled in his chest towards Seraphine. She handled the attack, and aftermath with elegance and swiftness. It was amazing the pure amount of compassion and grace she could muster in the face of such an event, and even to give her would be assassins their final rights for the sake of their families. She would one day become a magnificent ruler beloved by all her people. This Rennes was absolutely certain of.

As the hours passed Rennes maintained a constant distance of half a step from Seraphine, regardless of where she was in the room. These talks, as important as they were, and despite them having a great deal to do with Seraphine and himself in the near future bored the man. Naturally he showed no sign of it and waited patiently for it to just all be over.

Once the negotiations were finally complete Rennes escorted Seraphine out of the audience chamber and through the castle. Perking up at hearing his name the tall man turned to give Seraphine his full attention. "That can be arranged, I to would enjoy some time outside of these walls." He said giving her a private smile.

Leaving the castle and going to the stables. Despite the presence of grooms and a farrier Rennes saddled both their horses and checked the shoes of them. Petting the neck of his dapple silver stallion he checked him over one last time before going over Seraphines horse again. Satisfied he turned and looked to her grinning. "Are you ready to ride?" He asked.

Without waiting for her reply he wrapped his strong fingers around her hips and lifted her easily from the ground, straight into the air. Turning with her held high while smiling he sat her on the saddle much like he did when she was a child. Laughter reflected in his eyes at their moment. "It's hard to believe sometimes that you have grown from that adorable little girl into such a strong, beautiful woman." He said with a low chuckle. "Listen to me, I sound like an old man talking about his grandchildren." Shaking his head at himself he mounted Brouillard. With both sets of reigns in his hand he lead them out of the stables and away from the castle.

Once he decided they were far enough away from people he relenquished Seraphine's reigns to her. "I will allow you lead us this time." He said flashing a warm smile. He knew the day had taxed her and this was a form of escape, he wanted her to be able to let go of everything and be completely free to do as she will, at least for a short while.
 
"No grandfather would dare ride that uncut monster of a stallion you treat like a child," she teased. "Why you don't get him snipped and settle him down I don't know. He's keeping half the mares here looking over their shoulder for him."

Seraphine's cheeks were already flushed with the upcoming release from the environs of the castle and from the easy way Rennes lifted her into the air, holding her at arms length with no trace of tremble in his muscular arms and no effort showing afterwards in his breath. It had always made her giddy to be treated that way and despite being a fully grown woman with the responsibility of her House and station and people to shoulder, part of Seraphine still felt like a child inside. After Rennes put her down, she fidgeted a bit with her skirts and canting her legs just so across the side saddle. Several times Seraphine had begged Rennes to teach her to ride astride, like a man, but he steadfastly refused and changed the subject when she asked why.

As Rennes led them away from the castle, the sun caught Brouillard's coat and seemed to make it float before her eyes. Named after the fog that his coat so resembled, Brouillard was a perfect steed for a man like Rennes. Spirited, strong and deep in the chest with mighty lungs that gave him formidable endurance, and sleekly handsome, just like Rennes. In counterpoint, her mare was a dainty thing, all well defined lines and glossy coat that was midnight. So deeply colored was she that her coat and mane were the same shade, a rarity and one that Seraphine had immediately picked out from among the foals when they went down for the first births of the year. Named Fidélité, Seraphine's mare was the perfect size for her mistresses slender body. It was possible she could carry Rennes, but not for long and not with anything like the speed Brouillard possessed. Seraphine suspected that her bodyguard was pleased that she couldn't run away from him if such a silly headstrong notion manifested in her head.

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When Rennes handed her the reins, she twitched them to let Fidélité know who was in charge and turned them down a forest path that followed the winding of the river. Though it was on their land, time had forgotten Seraphine's destination. Once she paused, deep in the forest, uncertain of the way. Reading her mind Rennis clicked his tongue and then nodded with a toss of his head. Dazzling white teeth showed in a smile of thanks to him and Seraphine turned the direction he'd indicated. Soon they arrived at the bridge.

No records existed of who had built it. There was an ornamental pillar in the bank near it, the style partially Etruscan and partially pagan, but it was not from the same era. The bridge was far older, put together without mortar, and the skills needed to construct it and make it stand the years was no longer possessed in the Kingdom. Frail seeming, slender as a maiden's neck and surrounded by the lush forest, it was a magical place. Over the years since Rennes had showed it to her, Seraphine had reserved it for just the two of them, never allowing anyone else to go. There may have been poachers or other woodsmen who knew of it, but the Princess and her bodyguard had never seen them. After Rennes tied their mounts up and he swung her down, she took a step into him and placed her arms around his waist, burying her face against his chest.

A moment later the sobs started as Seraphine let go of the emotions she'd been holding inside. It was the most violent deaths she'd ever seen, though not the first she'd witnessed. There were executions in the palace courtyards, both axe and the noose, and once the priests had burned alive a woman they said was a temptress of Satan. Rennes had also slain men in her presence before, but never like what had just happened.

"I'm not sad," she said around the sobs. "I'm not. You had to kill them to keep me safe, Rennes. I know that. But it was just so-" she broke off and leaned her head back, wiping at her eyes with the backs of her hands. Already the whites around the storm green were going red. "Jesus forgive me, Rennes, but I was so proud of you. So proud that you were sworn to me. I took pride, sinful pride, in the death of those men and in you as the instrument of their passing."

"I'll need to confess of course," the Princess said, laughing sharply but it turned into another bout of silent tears and she pulled herself back into the comfort of Rennes' arms.
 
Looking at Seraphine in mock horror he caressed Brouillard's nose. "Don't listen to that mean woman. You are no monster, and don't you worry, I won't let anyone snip you. You are just fine the way you are." He said turning his head towards Seraphine and winking. He had a very legit reason for not gelding his
Stallion. Brouillard was a trained war horse and it would be unwise to try and settle him down for that reason alone.

Taking position beside her once they were free from the city he followed her into the forest instantly knowing where she wanted to take them. Having to only help her find the way once they arrived at their private place. Looking out over the water at the bridge he couldn't help but smile. This pocket of untouched beauty was theirs alone to share.

Dismounting first he dropped Brouillard's reigns letting them hang almost touching the ground. As long as his reigns hung in this manner Brouillard was as good as tied to a post. All part of his training. Quickly removing his hot and heavy gambeson and draping it over Brouillard's back he secured Fidélité's reigns to a tree, leaving Brouillard's reigns hanging free. He trusted his horse to not wander off and he rather have the option of the fastest means of escape if so needed.

Reaching up to Seraphine he gently took hold of her waist and lifted her with ease from the saddle to the ground. Just as he let go of her she grabbed onto him and pressed herself against his chest. Enfolding her in his powerful arms he silently cursed the chain-mail he wore under his tunic. He wanted to feel the soft curves of her body against his without the feel of tough metal between them. Snuffing the life from that path of thought with the same ruthlessness he showed the attackers just hours before he held his Princess, content in what he had.

When her sobbing began it felt like a frozen dagger was stabbed into his chest. Rennes had never liked the sound of her crying, no matter the reason it broke his heart to hear every time. Caressing her back he spoke in a soft, reassuring whisper. "Don't fret precious I'm here." Lowering his face he planted a soft kiss on the top of her head, while giving her a small, loving squeeze of his powerful arms.

"I believe you Sera, you were very brave in there. I am proud of you for maintaining your head despite what happened and what you saw. Just remember, it is perfectly fine to be afraid, it is what you do in the face of fear that matters and you stood strong with your head held high." Smiling down at her as she looked up Rennes felt a tightening deep in his chest. Even crying she had the visage of a Goddess in his eyes. Letting her go just long enough to cup her cheeks in his large hands he wiped away the few stray tears she missed with his thumbs.

"I see no sin. Your pride is in skills of a man who has spent his entire life dedicated to the sole purpose of bettering himself for your sake. You are an agent of God doing his good work, I am a tool of work, so I see it as a justified pride that he wouldn't dare punish you for. They brought the evil to that room and I met it in force, and in the aftermath you did as Jesus would and forgave them, and showed mercy on their families."

Again tears began to fall from her beautiful eyes and Rennes, who was still cupping her cheeks tilted her face to meet his. Lowing his lips to her face he planted a delicate kiss on either of her eyelids and then on each of her cheeks, the salty taste of her tears staining his lips. Releasing her face he encircled her back into his arms and held her close for several long moments, silently wishing they would last for eternity.

A grin spread on his face as a thought occurred to him. It was a lovely day, the sun was sitting high in the clear sky, a light breeze kept it from being to hot out and the water beside them looked refreshing. Easing his hold on her Rennes quickly and effortlessly scooped her up into his strong arms, cradling her against his chest. "I am going to cheer you up Sera, we are going to have a little splash around in the river." He said taking long easy strides towards the river. His roguish grin growing on his face.

Ignoring her protests about ruining him ruining her gown he calmly reminded her that she was the heir Queen to all of France, she could have another thousand made for her. The same argument applied to his clothing and mail. Stopping right at the rivers edge he looked down into her lovely green eyes and gave her an ultimatum. "You are going into this river with me one way or another, so if this dress is that important to you take it off. If not then in we go. I will give you ten heartbeats to decide." He said counting down the time he gave her for her decision.
 
And just like that her sad mood was gone. Rennes was better than any confessor and his absolution of her actions, her emotions, was accepted completely. She'd still confess properly before a priest and God, but it would be, if not pro forma, then pious but not deeply felt. Rennes' was smarter than anyone realized, a side effect of attending Seraphine during her education. She'd also seen him borrow volumes and scrolls from the collection, and he took any chance to speak with her father's advisors, generals, and even common men-at-arms. If Rennes' theology said she was still in the Grace of the Lord, she was.

"You wouldn't dare," she said at the river's edge, knowing full well he would. Watching his dark eyes for any sign of letting up, she stopped him at the count of two with a finger across his lips, feeling the warmth of his breath from his nose. "I beg your pardon. You would dare and would risk even my mother's wrath at a gown ruined. Do you know how much silk costs and how long it takes to get here down the Spice Road?" Shaking her head, Seraphine held her finger to his lips a moment longer then pulled it away. "Help me," she commanded and turned her back to him to unlace her. The belt about her waist she dealt with herself and held it, along with the arm circlets in her left hand then her right as necessary to let the gown slip from her shoulders. The necklace she left on but Seraphine wiggle the ring off and slipped it into the bundle of things she handed backwards.

Muted light diffused by the trees didn't allow her skin to glow but the porcelain of it was still obvious. Unmarred by blemish or freckle it was a perfect canvas for a man to kiss and run his fingers across. Each pert cheek of her butt bore a tiny dimple near the top and her breasts were small but well formed. Walking to the very edge she pointed a toe and dipped it in the river while Rennes finished doffing his armor.

"It's brisk," she warned and turned her head over her shoulder to look at him. "You've not my permission to catch pneumonia and die."
 
Rennes smiled when she tested him, then gave in at only a count of two. The feeling of her finger against his lips was divine. Like being touched by an angel, no by his angel. Staying silent, mostly due to her finger still across his lips he nodded to her question. "It's cost is irrelevant as is the time. There is enough stockpiled in the palace to replace a single dress." He answered smartly. Letting her down at her command to help her he flashed her a victorious smile.

Making quick work of the laces with surprisingly deft fingers. He held back the urge to reach out and touch her perfect skin. Though he did not refrain from letting his eyes roam her exposed body drinking in the sight of her bare porcelain skin. The curve of her rear, with its dimples of Venus all but begged him to kiss them, as did her pert young breasts. They may have been only a handful each for Rennes large hands but they were perfectly shaped and perky. Gritting his teeth and fighting a loosing battle Rennes pulled his eyes and mind from her body long enough to undress himself.

He pulled the outer tunic and chain-mail together leaving him in the thin cotton undershirt that he wore to prevent chafing. Unlacing the collar he pulled it over his head and dropped it with his other clothing baring his sun bronzed torso to her. His muscles were very well defined and his chest bore soft black hair across it that narrowed to a thin trail that led to the hem of his trousers, as well as several pale thin scars that he earned in his years of training and protecting Seraphine.

His broad back and shoulders bore a lattice of long scars, some pale and well faded, others thick and still slightly raised. More than once during her childhood and adolescence did Rennes indulge in her less acceptable antics. Once even pulling a joke on her father. He always accepted any and all punishments, including any that would be laid upon Seraphine, who he knew would never be whipped herself. Each and every time he stood and took the lashes, never allowing them to bind him in any way. He just stood and took it all the while comforting Seraphine and explaining why what they did was wrong.

A thought occurred to him as he removed his boots. He hadn't been fully exposed to Seraphine since she entered puberty. The thought was fleeting as he unbuckled his belt and dropped his trousers revealing himself to her unabashed. It became quite obvious that the cries of ecstasy that came from his bed partners were indeed justified. Even flaccid Seraphine could hold him in both her hands.

His roguish grin spread on his face when she warned him of the waters brisk temperature. "I wouldn't dream of it Sera." He said before dashing at her grabbing her by the hips and lifting her easily into the air carrying her into the water up to his knees before showing signs of slowing. Pinning her body against his he spun around and fell back into the water with her back against his chest with a splash getting her wet while keeping her head above the surface. That was not the case for his own head which entered the chill water for a brief moment before popping up. "It is much better to enter a brisk river in one fell swoop than torment oneself easing in inch by inch." He said still holding her by the waist.
 
Seraphine's girlish shrieks grew to ear piercing levels the further he waded out and then cut off with a shocked gasp as he took her backwards into the water. It was so cold that it felt like tiny daggers of ice piercing her skin. The only warm part of her was her back against his chest and where her bottom nestled just above his waist. "I'll have Father banish you!" she threatened, then wiggled trying to get loose. That she was nude, atop an equally nude man in his prime with a body blessed by the gods didn't seem to occur to her. He was just Rennes and so complete was her trust in him, her comfort, that it was simply not possible for her to respond. Like an eel she finally got free of him then stood over him, one leg on either side of his waist. Looking up her legs were open to him, though her lips were flush with the skin and hid the mystery of her cleft. Nor was her pearl visible. Her breasts did bear twin ruby nipples, crinkling skin hard from the cold water and the excitement of being playful with him. Seraphine put her hands on her hips as fists and then laid one bare foot on Rennes' chest. "I declare victory in the name of God and King Odo of France! Let all who hear of my victory give thanks unto the Lord and glory to the King!" Giggling she tried, and failed, to push Rennes under the water.

"It's so cold!" she said when she stopped laughing and stepped off of him. Now her skin was marked, splotches of red coming to the surface in excitement and chills. Seraphine turned and looked towards the bridge then started slowly wading out to it, shrieking once when a frog splashed past her. "Come on! I want to see if anyone's tossed any coins off it for good luck."
 
Rennes harrumphed at her threat. "He would do no such thing, and I wouldn't listen to him if he tried. You heard them today. My loyalties lie solely with you." He reminded her with a deep laugh. Holding tight to her as she wiggled about he again found himself battling more base urges. The feel of her skin against his was heavenly, and the way she moved against him caused a stirring in his loins.

When she finally broke free of his grasp he was stretched out, silently grateful only his chest and shoulders could be seen. The was she stood above him straddling his waist with her spread legs gave him a remarkable and unavoidable view of her sex. Despite her mons concealing her inner lips and pearl it was still a very enjoyable sight for him. It took nearly all of Rennes self control to not just sit up and bury his face between her legs to taste her untouched honey pot. Luckily for him he didn't have to hold the control long.

Feeling her tiny foot against his chest his gaze fell to it and slowly, enjoyably, he trailed them up her slender calf to her smooth thighs, up her flat tummy and across her luscious breasts. A smirk growing on his face almost as fast as his erection did under the surface. Rennes allowed her to make her declaration of victory against him but held himself up with ease as she tried to push him under the cool surface of the river.

"It's not that bad." Rennes opposed actually quite comfortable in the chilled water. He really hoped the cold would impose on his situation under the water but it was not the case at all. Groaning internally at her request for him to get up and go to the bridge with her he waited until she was turned around before he dared to stand himself. Looking down he cursed his erection under his breath and waded to the deeper water hoping to get his waist back under before she caught sight of him.

"And what are you going to do if you do happen to find any coins?" He asked cursing under his breath again. This time at the water for not getting deeper faster. The view he was offered of Seraphine's rear and the way her hips swayed as she moved was definitely not helping his situation any.
 
That was odd. Rennes' was, well, he was stiff like the stallions before they covered a mare. She'd seen it before, but never really looked at it in the daylight like now. It had been in a dim palace room or glimpsed but faintly by moonlight as he and his fille de jour coupled in the night. Why was he so stiff now? Puzzled, Seraphine watched him walk towards her and tried not to giggle at the way he bounced. It was quite a bit larger than she thought they might be, based on some comments from scullery maids and chamber girls she wasn't supposed to overhear. One of them had used her crooked little finger even to demonstrate the alleged length of Earl DeVries. Well, he was Rennes. Rennes was better at everything than other men. That's why he had such a large member. Nodding, Seraphine didn't realize she'd been staring at his erection.

As she turned, she felt an odd lurching in her stomach and pressed her hand to the base of her belly, holding it a moment until it passed.

"I don't know," she said then continued wading until she stood near the middle of the arch above, trying to work out where coins might have been tossed. The water was up past her waist, just below the bottom of her breasts, and brown, almost inky black, from the tannins dissolved in it from all the leaves. "Oh, it's squishy," she said, arms held up with her elbows crooked. A good portion of her hair floated on the surface behind her, swept by the almost invisible current. Seraphine giggled as she pushed her toes through the oozy mud of the bottom. "It feels so slick and silly," she told Rennes. "Do come try it!" The young Princess looked over towards her bodyguard.
 
Rennes fears came to life when she turned around and saw him walking towards her fully, painfully erect. Sighing to himself he noticed her staring at it for several moments. He showed no reaction that would give away his discomfort with the situation. Her nod did confuse him a little as he was unsure why she was nodding at him while staring at his member. He also noticed her lift her hand to her tummy and hold it. Was she feeling excitement looking at him he wondered.

Wadding to her side and thanking the heavenly Lord above that the water was finally deep enough to hid him he looked down at the murky water that reached just above his belly button. "I doubt we will find any in this murk." He said with a smile towards her.

There was something else that was slick and squishy that he wanted to feel and it wasn't the mud. Swiftly kicking himself mentally at the lewd thought he sighed and got closer letting his feet sink into the cool slick mud. "That it does. Sera. It's actually kinda nice once you get used to it." He said reaching out and wrapping an arm loosely around her waist, helping support her in case she slipped or got her foot stuck in the mud. Glancing down at her he flashed a smile. "See I told you a dip in the river would be worth it."
 
The smile she flashed him was as radiant as the glow of her ruby nippled breasts, seeming to hang on the top of the water. "It's just the matter of getting used to it," Seraphine said, then moved a little closer to Rennes, pressing her hip against his side for the warmth of the contact. The princess continued to feel about in the muck, face occasionally screwed up in concentration as she tried to figure out what she was feeling. It wasn't often she had a chance to just play like a child, to get dirty and not worry about it. Seraphine could have, had she really pressed it, but her station and her upbringing didn't allow it. "How many people have passed over this since it was built do you think? Hundreds? Thousands? Oh, I hope they thought it as beautiful as I!"

Suddenly she gave a gleeful shout and clutched Rennes' arm tightly for balance. "I think I have one!" One foot was lifted towards the surface, toes clutching desperately to the ball of slippery mud. As it came high enough, the princess grabbed it from between her toes with both hands and began to swirl it just at the surface of the water, breasts jiggling to and fro. Mud swirled away leaving...

"Oh. It's only a mussel," she said in disappointment, holding it out to Rennes for inspection before letting it slip beneath the surface. Looking at her still muddy hands and intending to wash them beneath the water, she changed her mind. With an impish grin she wiped them on Rennes' chest, leaving muddy streaks, and then turned to run for the bank, laughing at the sport of it.
 
Rennes's heart warmed at the smile she gave him. She was such a beautiful girl and she hardly knew to what extent her beauty ran. Taking a moment to really consider her question he finally answered her. "Probably hundreds of thousands. It looks to have been here for a long time, and I see no way that anyone couldn't find beauty in this place."

Grinning at her shift closer to him he held her tighter as she started to fish around in the mud. "Well lets see it." He said almost as excited as she was, but for him it wasn't the prospect of finding a lost treasure, but the pure enjoyment she was having finding said treasure.

Rennes couldn't help but laugh at her sudden disappointment. "I'm sorry, I am not laughing at you." He quickly explained. Her response stopped cut his laughter short. Looking down at the smear of mud across his chest he frowned before glancing over to her. "You do realize this means war?" He asked his frown melting into a playful grin.

As she splashed through the water trying to run from him, Rennes took a deep breath and went under the surface. Scooping up twin hand fulls of mud he pushed off the ground staying submerged and quickly cleared the distance between them then passed her.

Popping up from the water with a splash still holding both hand fulls of mud he let out a triumphant cry and pressed them against her shoulders and smeared them inward covering the top of her chest just above her breasts and then up either side of her slender neck to her cheeks.

Laughing at her muddy chest, neck and face he back peddled though the water. "Come on Sera you are going to have to move faster than that to catch me." He teased, his powerful legs making it easier for him to push through the water. Though he did slow down purposefully when the water started to reach only his waist in a vain attempt to save his modesty. The water was clearer here and it was still apparent that he was hard under the surface.
 
The mud was slippery but also a little scratchy against her pampered skin. Seraphine looked down in shock, mouth open, as Rennes smeared it all over her front. Dabs and drips of it fell onto the tops of her breasts and she could only imagine how she looked with it smeared on her face. "Oh you're in for it," she said then made a mock growling sound before laughing. Seraphine scooped a handful of mud from the bottom and flung it at Rennes, missing but a few stray pieces caught him in the back as he waded away from her. Unlike Rennes going underwater to catch him was not an option. Seraphine couldn't swim. It wasn't a common skill for princesses to have acquired. Bathing, certainly, but even though her baths were enormous, great leftover Roman things, swimming wasn't within her ability so she was forced to splash after him.

"Flee the armies of France," she yelled, flinging more mud at him, getting as much on herself in the process as made it towards him. Rennes was keeping just far enough out of reach to make it challenging and ducked and weaved like a mongoose to avoid her throws. "Ware our arrows," she shouted and tossed double handfuls of mud into the air so it spattered down all around the both of them like dirty rain. "And our trebuchets!" This was a double handful tossed underarm and it wobbled before uselessly striking the water." "And..." she paused and looked at Rennes, "What comes after arrows and trebuchets?"

On the bank Fidélité snorted.

"Oh, cavalry. Thank you, Milady," she told her horse and then curtsied, miming holding her skirt in her muddy hands. While she was down Seraphine got more mud and flung it sideways towards her bodyguard, a wide line of earthen horses riding their foes down. Laughing so hard she lost her breath, Seraphine sat down near the banks of the river, mud all over her body and in her hair and one silty bit in her mouth. She pointed at where a piece of mud was sticking to Rennes head like a small unicorn's horn and laughed even harder.
 
Rennes laugh as she flung mud at him, the main clump had missed him but small bits splattered against his back. "You will have to do much better than that." He taunted.

"This is not fleeing, it is a tactile rearward advance." He claimed as he knelt down to scoop up a fistful of mud. Taking full advantage of his skills Rennes let loose the mud at Seraphine. The mud hit her lightly in the center of her belly smearing very satisfyingly down her front.

His attack was then met by a full assault from Seraphine's armies of France. Covered thoroughly in mud he could only smile at the angelic laughter that rang from his Seraphine. Her laughter was infectious. The two of them looked an utter mess. And despite it all she was radiant in his eyes. Her laughter made his life brighter. Her lovely face was the first and last thing he laid his eyes every single day. He loved this purely innocent nature, but it left her lacking in many life experiences. She was as naive as she was intelligent, and a great deal of that was his own fault.

Walking over to where she sat he raised an eyebrow at her fit of laughter. Reaching up he felt the mud on his forehead. Trying to wipe it away only helped smear it. Abandoning the lost cause he took a seat beside Seraphine. "We are heading into the mouth of danger in a few days. It will be a difficult journey and you will be experiencing things I have kept you from all our lives. Out there I will not be able to shield you from experiencing the world nor would I. I want to watch you grow as a woman to become the greatest you can be."

Moving to kneel on one knee he leaned over her and took her muddy hands into his. "I need you to promise me something Seraphine. Regardless of what you experience in life, do not let yourself become jaded." He said letting go of her hands and cupping her cheeks. Gently lifting her face to his he brushed his lips over hers in a delicate, chaste kiss. "Promise me Seraphine." He said meeting her eyes directly and holding them like he had many times before when he wanted her to do something.
 
For the second time in the day Seraphine's tummy lurched and what was a chaste kiss, Rennes' lips butterfly light on hers, evoked feelings she neither could name nor understand. Instinct made her eyes close and when Rennes pulled away, Seraphine's lips followed him but found only empty air as he at least understood what could be and what could not be. A tiny space showed between her lips where they didn't quite meet and the tip of her tongue touched it briefly. Seraphine opened her eyes, meeting Rennes' and being held by the force of his presence and his strength of character.

"I promise, Rennes," the princess declared with as much sincerity as a joyful bride professing her vows to her beloved. Her hands came up and found his wrists where they hung one either side of her face, his hands still cupping it, and squeezed. She was innocently beautiful in the moment and the mud on her face and disheveled hair combined with her classical features and enchanting eyes to paint her as some wild Naiad of yore. Deep inside her breast her heart beat faster than when she was running through the water and she wanted nothing more than for the moment to last forever.

It was Rennes that broke it. Perhaps he understood what might happen if he tarried a breath more, or perhaps he would never see Seraphine in that light but the man rose and moved slightly down current and began to sluice the mud off his body. Seraphine reached out a hand his direction, fingers fluttering to grab something to hold the moment, but it was gone. Solemn now, her back to him, Seraphine followed suit and began to clean as much of the mud off her as possible before stepping out of the river and back into her clothing. Silk clung to wet spots on her body, molding to the nubile form beneath it, and she shivered with chill. Fidélité was warm and soft and the princess rested her body against her mare's side, one arm around her neck and the other holding the leather strap that ran across her chest. It was time to return to the castle, to duty and station, but in one of the few instances in her life Seraphine didn't want to assume the mantle of responsibility. She wanted to linger her, with Rennes, and do...

What? It was confusing and frightening. Seraphine didn't know what she wanted to do, or why she wanted to stay, or why her body felt tight and ready for something. Perhaps the chill was sign of a fever or ague. It was the wrong time for her moon so that wasn't it. She needed to be back at the castle, where she had to be the Princess, and prepare for the voyage ahead.

She must be the Princess.

Standing straight and raising her chin, Seraphine lifted her arms away from her waist. "Rennes," she called, expecting him to mount her and then lead them back home.
 
Rennes noticed the small part in her lips and the way her tongue peerless between them to taste the kiss. Which for Rennes was completely innocent. He didn't want to loose the girl he cared so deeply for, was afraid of our and without thinking he just kissed her.

The aftermath though was more temptation than he could take. She looked like a Goddess of beauty born of the earth. Rennes could easily see the signs of a sitting inside her. An awakening caused by him.

Pulling away from her before he did something they would both regret he turned quickly and walked away. The look of confused need in her face and in her actions brought Rennes's like almost painfully back to life. If he didn't stop himself now he would take this much further than he could allow himself to. That simple kiss was already going to far.

Once he had some distance between them he started to wash the mud away and with the weak hours of washing away some of his lust for her. Taking a little longer than her to get out of the river, having to wait for a certain part of his anatomy to settle he went to shore.

She was already back in her dress which cling to her still damp skin in places. Still makes when she raised her arms her sides to be lifted he walked to her and smiled. Wrapping his hands around her hips instead of her waist he squeezed Beverly and caressed his thumbs over the crest of her hips. Lifting her with ease he carried her from her mare instead of placing her in the saddle.

Carrying her to Brouillard he looked up at her and slowly lowered her to her feet dragging her body against his, the thin silk of her dress the only barrier between them. Giving her hips one last fondle he ran his hands up her sides to her shoulders. Sliding his fingers under the loose neck he pulled the dress down over her shoulders and slowly down hey body letting of it to pool around her feet once it was too her waist.

"You cannot wear a dress for what we are about to do." He said reaching out and caressing her cheek. Walking to his stallion opened one of the saddle bags and rummaged inside for a moment. Pulling out a bundle of cloth he unrolled the clean trousers and tunic.

"Put these on." He said offering the set of clothing her. "I'll explain soon enough." He said helping her into the oversized trousers first. Using the belt from her dress to keep them up he pulled the tunic over her head. It swallowed the small woman but something about seeing her in his clothing felt right to Rennes, and very appealing.

Quickly getting dressed himself he loaded up their other articles of clothing and Rennes case armor onto Fidélité. Finally finished he returned to Seraphine grinning. "I have decided that in light of what I recently said you need more experience. We will be in many strange land and there may be a time need to get away from our hey to something in haste. Riding side saddle will not be a viable option in those cases. So I'm going to teach you to ride astride. You will be riding on this uncut monster for your first lesson."

Not giving hey much of a chance to protest and ignoring the few that she did manage Rennes lifted her easily into the saddle and began instructing hey on proper riding posture. Once he was satisfied she was sitting properly he took hold of Brouillard's bridle and began to lead him in a slow circle the clearing.

He knew what would eventually happen to Seraphine with the steady swaying and light bouncing in the saddle. The fact that the fabric of the loose trousers would help with the intensity the feeling was also not lost on him. Rennes was getting his payback for how she made his body react without understanding why. It was his turn now, and he was educating her in something that was important, possible life saving the process.
 
You cannot wear a dress for what we are about to do.

...what we are about to do.

...about to do.

Rennes' words echoed in her mind as Seraphine's heart tripped in her chest. His hands on her waist had been expected, and she was only mildly puzzled when Rennes pulled her away from Fidélité. But when Rennes slowly lowered her, allowing her body to brush, no be pulled, down his, Seraphine shivered though only she knew it wasn't from the cold, damp silk clinging to her body. The way he caressed her somewhat still girlish hips and then ran them up to her shoulders caught Seraphine's breath and she was unable to let it out from the sensual tension, almost agony, of him undressing her. He'd done it too many times in the past to feel odd, when she was a child and as often as the day before. Never though, never, had it felt like it was anything more than that. Seraphine gasped when the silk stuck to and then pulled off of her breasts, the fabric exquisitely intense on her nipples. Like a doll, Seraphine was turned by his hand and looked up into his eyes with feminine wonder and more than a little fear.

...about to do.

Then he was gone, leaving Seraphine standing dumbfounded in his absence. Almost she reached for him, her body knowing even if she was yet ignorant, and then he was back with a set of rough, oversized clothing. His own, she realized. It smelled like him and the coarseness of it mimicked his hands. Gaining control of herself, the only sign of it a flush in her cheeks, Seraphine stood and allowed herself to be dressed as she had been every day of her life.

When he was done, her composure was back and even though she felt a burning in her tummy and an odd tingle between her legs, Seraphine wore the cool mask of a face she did in the palace.

As she did every other lesson, Seraphine paid attention and followed her tutors instructions. Sit so, press here with your feet and there with your thighs to make the horse understand what you wanted. It was very odd to have her legs held so widely splayed atop Brouillard's mighty back, and it pressed her cleft down uncomfortably along a seam in Rennes' pants. A seam that began to slip to and fro as she rode, causing her to squirm and lift her bottom from the leather of the saddle, only to almost miss it and press it back down again in an indecisive shuffle.

"Enough," she finally said, voice tight and awkward. Without waiting on him the young princess pulled her leg free of one side and slid down from the horse. Hitching at her belt that attempted to hold Rennes' trousers up, she stepped back from the mighty warhorse and towards her own, more familiar mount. There was an odd damp patch showing on the cloth between her legs, faintly visible but unmistakable to Rennes' eyes.

"We will return now, Rennes," she directed in her official voice. Moving so her horse was between them, the princess pulled off his clothing, letting it fall into a haphazard pile, and donned her now very much worse for the wear dress in its place. Taking Fidélité's reins, she walked a half dozen steps down the path and waited for Rennes to gather their things and help her to mount. Seraphine's body language was rigidly tense, barely under control, but it was under control with the will she'd been raised to possess.
 
It as transparently clear to Rennes that what he was doing was getting his desired reactions. A small, very small, part of him almost felt bad for tormenting her in such a way. But she was a woman now and soon she would have to deal with these feelings and desires, and in Rennes opinion he was the best person to introduce her into the world of sensual pleasure. Yes he would be pushing her into the unknown territory of sexuality and it's many up and downs, but he knew if it was him he could take measured pushes and introduce her slowly to this new world of sensation, not overwhelming her in a rushed desire to copulate like many suitors would. And there was their familiarity and trust in each other. He knew that she knew he would never do anything to harm her, or push her into a situation that would make her to uncomfortable.

Smiling as she took to his lessons on how to ride he paid close attention to the swaying of her hips and how she was being rubbed against the saddle. It was clear on her face the effects of the near constant grinding motion. She did surprise him with her sudden dismount and he caught the damp spot on the crotch of his borrowed pants.

Rennes watched as she all but scurried away from him and hastily removed the borrowed clothes to get back into her dress. Her tense body language told Rennes everything the stoic mask she held in place attempted to hide. He was impressed with the level of control she was showing, but he knew she was still feeling the arousal.

"As you desire Seraphine." He answered as he collected the discarded clothing and reloaded them into the saddlebag. Walking to her he placed a kind hand on her back between her shoulder blades. He decided against speaking for the moment, instead choosing to let her work out the feelings in her head and body. Lifting her to the saddle he refrained from any extra fondling of her waist as he sat her down. Mounting Brouillard he collected both their reigns and lead them back to the safety of their castle.

To avoid making a scene Rennes opted to use one of many secret passages into the castle to their advantage. Once they finally reached her rooms he ordered several things, first that under penalty of a gruesome death by his own hands that only the two of them, and the two maids who here present would ever know of the condition Seraphine returned home in. Once the vows were made to his satisfaction did he allow the two women to go complete his required tasks. The collected fresh clothing and readied a hot bath in the larger of the tubs.

Leading Seraphine to the baths, which were filled with steaming water and the calming scents of perfumed bath salts. With out any sensuality he helped Seraphine out of her dress for the last time of the day before undressing himself. Taking her hand and helping her into the massive tub he followed in behind her and let out a heavy sigh. "This feels amazing." He stated leaning back against the wall of the tub and spreading out his arms along the outer edge of the tub, the right one resting just above Seraphine's shoulders.

After a few moments of tense silence between them Rennes broke it. "Thank you for today. It has been a long time since I have let loose and enjoyed myself so." He said smiling warmly to her. Dropping his arm down to rest around her shoulders he pulled her easily to his side and gave her a light squeeze. "I do so hope you enjoyed your day as much as I have, but there are some things that I would like to talk with you about." He said looking down at her in full mentor mode. "Tell me about what you were feeling towards the end of our outing. The feelings you got when riding Brouillard, the feelings you had when I touched you, and don't bother trying to deny it. It was clear as day to me on your face, in your body language and not to mention in the dampness off the pants I lent you." He said giving her no room to wriggle out of this conversation.
 
The perfumed bath salts and oils were there to cover up the smell of the water. It was brought in through ancient folded lead pipes, part of the Roman buildings and city that had been here before the palace was built, and the water was hot enough that it verged on the painful. Heated somehow deep underground, they'd never figured it out, the water was of a modest but consistent flow but had a distinct sulfur smell to it. Seraphine only noticed it when she first went in the baths and her nose adjusted quickly. The heat of the water more than made up for the minor annoyance. The baths would be missed on the voyage but the excitement of it was more than sufficient coin to compensate.

The ride had given her space and time to put the family of thoughts in the house of her head in order. Showing none of the stiffness or fluster from earlier, when Rennes pulled she slid across and into his embrace as naturally as ever. "It was quite odd," she admitted, but with no sign of shame in her voice, only an almost detached reflection in its place. "It was here," the princess took Rennes' hand other hand and drew it under the surface of the water to rest on the lower part of her tummy. "I felt it here and between my thighs. In my cleft," she explained but did not pull his hand further. Where his forearm lay at the interface of water and air, a slick of perfumed oil gathered, clinging to the hairs on his skin. "I felt...breathless. Needing something, something from you, but I don't know what. My breasts were so...heavy I suppose is the word. Tight. Sensitive for sure. They hurt, Rennes, and even the touch of the air on my nipples made them ache but it also was echoed here," her hand pushed his more firmly into the bottom of her tummy. "And there."

"I don't understand it. Riding Brouillard made it better and worse. It felt better to have my thighs spread by his back, and he was warm on them, but your trousers kept rubbing my cleft and it felt most peculiar. I couldn't think straight and had confusing feelings in my heart all of a sudden. Then I realized I was damp down there and it made me ashamed." Letting go of his hand, Seraphine squirmed for a moment, seeking a more comfortable position and half turned away from him so her back could rest against his side. She picked up a sea sponge and, lifting one slim leg free of the water, began to wash it clean of any last vestiges of their time in the river. The rough slide of it across her skin reminded Seraphine of Rennes hands, toughened by sword and rein and a dozen other rough things that men did.

"Why was I damp, Rennes? It wasn't my water. How do I keep it from happening again and ruining a dress or, God in Heaven above forbid, a negotiation. Is this why women are not considered properly capable of ruling? Is it part of Eve's curse?"
 
Rennes smiled when she leaned easily into his embrace. A part of him was truly fearful that she would be uncomfortable with him now. The wave of relief that washed over him was euphoric and the tension in his shoulders eased.

He listened to his princess as she described the feelings in her lower body, a warm smile blossoming on his face when she guided his hand to her lower tummy. Spreading his fingers across her smooth skin savoring the feel of the contract but not saying to do anything more than let his hand rest under hers.

Considering her words carefully he plotted it how he would go about explaining to her why she felt those things before speaking. After a few moments he spoke. "What you were feeling was completely natural Seraphine. You were aroused and the funny sensations in your tummy and cleft was your body's way of telling you that it enjoyed what was happening and wanted more of it. It was also trying to get you ready for sex by sending blood to the sensitive posts if your body. The same thing happened to me, which is why my member was so erect. That feeling of need you mentioned was your body telling you that you wanted sex with me, which is the same reason my body reacts the way it did for you."

Pausing at that confession of his less than pure thoughts for her Rennes weakly wishes he could take it back. Knowing that wouldn't able to happen he pressed forward. That dampness was your body preparing itself for intercourse by producing a natural lubricant. To prevent it from happening you would have to avoid getting to aroused, something I'm sure the dreadfully dull happenings of negotiations will ensure is you keep your mind on track and off what arouses you."

Rennes couldn't help but look at her leg as she ran the sponge over it and swallowed fighting hard to keep his thoughts on track. Her light weight pressed against his side as she bathed was starting to prove be a minor distraction again with nature of their conversation.

Rennes snorted when she asked if it was why so many men claimed women incapable leaders. "No, it is because men are insecure and pig headed and believe that they are superior over women because they have something hanging between their legs. True men may be physically more powerful but women feel things deeper, care more completely, are more nurturing and understanding. They bring all life into the world and are made to believe it is a curse burdened on them. It is all horse shit. I know in my heart you will be one of the greatest rulers in all of history not just France."

Grabbing his own sponge Rennes began to wash his princesses back helping her get cleaned while he let his mind wander over the conversation that just took place. He really did confess to her that he was attracted to her as a woman and pay off him at least lusted for her untouched body.
 
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